Category: hide and seek pets
50 Pets Who Thought They Were Hiding, But Actually Weren’t
April 7, 2022
Pets are a wonder — they never stop brightening up our days with their hilarious shenanigans and weird little quirks. After all, looking at them jumping, pouncing, and getting us just as excited for the day as they are is a source of entertainment right there.
However, sometimes our beloved goofballs feel this overwhelming urge to crouch behind furniture, run underneath the bed, or bury their heads in the couch. Especially when they’ve done something mischievous. But while some of them are true masters of camouflage, others hilariously try to go unnoticed and fail in the best possible way.
Today, we bring you a list full of amusing pictures of our beloved four-legged friends who are so terrible at playing hide-and-seek, their owners just had to take a brief pause from laughing, snap a photo, and share it with everyone online. So continue scrolling, upvote the ones that made you smile, and make sure to check out Part 1 of this post right here!
#1 I Got You, Fren
Image credits: DelayedACK
#2 Hashbrown Hasn’t Completely Figured Out Hiding Yet
Image credits: auspatri
#3 Hiding In Plain Sight
Image credits: tuayfoo_the_samoyed
The concept of hide-and-seek is uncomplicated to us humans — one hides, the other seeks. But our pets seem to have their own idea of what going under the radar actually means. Whether they get scared, chew on something they’re not supposed to, or simply want to act all goofy, our companions are drawn to the cozy confines of private spaces. But the truth is, we can often see them in plain sight.
To find out more about this peculiar urge to hide and what we should do about it, we reached out to Kate Mornement, Ph.D., who goes by the handle @petbehaviourist on Instagram. Being a qualified animal behaviorist and founder of the consultancy Pets Behaving Badly, she strives to help people better understand these charming creatures living under their care.
She told Bored Panda that animals usually hide because they’re afraid. “When pets hide, they’re telling us they’re scared or need space. Things that often cause pets to hide include loud noises, unfamiliar people or animals, and things they associate with unpleasant experiences, such as the cat carrier coming out before a vet visit.”
#4 He Got In Trouble For Barking (We Live In An Apartment) So He Threw A Tantrum And Went To Hide Under The Fridge
Image credits: shamls
#5 There’s Nowhere To Hide At The Vet’s Office
Image credits: SeveralBookkeeper
#6 Found A Loose Seal In My Bathroom
Image credits: ihopethiscomesoffwitty
Kate explained that some sneaky critters also try to go unnoticed when they have an object they shouldn’t have. “They hide because they’ve learned that that delays or prevents the item being taken away,” she added.
It seems this behavior is based on their natural instinct to escape potential danger. “It’s part of the ‘fight, flight or freeze response’ which is a survival instinct,” Kate told us. “Hiding when you’re eating food is also a survival instinct. If you eat alone, you consume more compared to eating with others competing for the same food.”
#7 Hiding From The Vet
Image credits: tiffanywebb87
#8 My Friend’s Dog Is Terrible At Hide And Seek
Image credits: DontFearZombies
#9 My Kitten Likes To “Hide” In This Jar, And Her Brother Is Confused
Image credits: MyLittleGirl
Pets move around in their surroundings using impressive senses of smell, sound, and vision. But as you scroll through this list, it can be quite surprising to see how many pets are simply terrible at the art of stealth. Even cats, the most celebrated hiders out there, seem to hilariously fail sometimes. Though they’re trying their best, and we love them for it.
#10 My White Cat Attempting To Hide So I Can’t Clip His Nails
Image credits: reddit.com
#11 I Finally Figured Out Where Tank The Cat Has Been Hiding. I Only Saw Him Because A Bird Chirped On TV And He Stuck His Head Up Slightly. Who Sees Him?
Image credits: Ellekm730
#12 Master Of Disguise
Image credits: Otomasoteraph
When asked why some of our four-legged friends can’t seem to find a well-concealed hiding spot, Kate noted it’s probably because they don’t understand the concept of the game.
“I think we misinterpret a lot of our pets’ behavior in general, so it’s important to learn how to read your pet’s body language to ensure you understand them and can help them overcome any fears they may have,” she continued.
Still, happy pet owners enjoy taking pictures of and genuinely laughing at these funny failures: “Sometimes our pets do goofy things that make us laugh. Sharing these moments with others who can relate makes us feel good.”
#13 My Big Boy Likes To “Hide” When It’s Time To Leave The Park
Image credits: sharkee1
#14 You Can’t See Me
Image credits: imgur.com
#15 They Both Chose The Same “Hiding” Place At The Vet
Image credits: _flower_
The good news is that you can indeed help your pet stop spending so much time hiding under or behind objects. “Training pets not to hide under things involves helping them be comfortable with the situation that causes them to hide,” the animal behaviorist explained.
“For example, if your pet hides when visitors arrive, teach your pet that visitors predict good things by having the visitor throw your pet their favorite treats. Also, ask visitors not to approach your pet or try to interact until your pet initiates interaction. This will help alleviate their fear over time,” she added.
So if you ever want to try out hide-and-seek with your beloved companion, Kate said that playing games with pets is a fun way to bond with them. “Just make sure that your pet is also enjoying the game!”
#16 I Wonder Where My Cat Is Hiding
Image credits: gavinsblog
#17 Found This Little Guy Today. He Felt Safe Hiding In My Girlfriend’s Hair
Image credits: butitsa10-33
#18 Google Reminded Me Of How My Dog Used To Hide In The Couch
Image credits: Entershikari
#19 Trip To The Vet. She Thinks We Can’t See Her
Image credits: itskaymay
#20 All Time Hide And Seek Winner
Image credits: FifthEyeBlinded
#21 This Cat Thinks She Is Hiding And Can’t Be Seen
Image credits: Jax7284
#22 I’m A Shelter Photographer And This Kitten Was Not A Big Fan Of My Camera. This Was Her Idea Of “Hiding”
Image credits: finstantnoodles
#23 My Cat Truly Thinks He’s Successfully Hiding From Me
Image credits: BottomShelfWhiskey
#24 I’ll Just Hide In Here, So No One Can See Me
Image credits: issius
#25 Hiding After Being Fussed At
Image credits: wattzilla
#26 Velma Thinks We Can’t See Her Behind The Curtain
Image credits: the8itch
#27 Favorite Hiding Spot
Image credits: Phil_MCrackin
#28 My Cat And His Incredible Hiding Skills
Image credits: Cotran61
#29 Worst Hide And Seek Player Of All Time
Image credits: NAEEMP
#30 Stealth Doggo
Image credits: Hexyyyy
#31 Hide And Not Too Much Seek
Image credits: cameltoe681
#32 Nothing To See Here
Image credits: CyberBuda
#33 Simba Doesn’t Quite Get Hide And Seek Yet
Image credits: ishkish69
#34 When Lola Is Tired Of Playing She Hides From Our Other Dog So She Can Get Some Rest. This Is Her Hiding
Image credits: nickgonzalez771
#35 This Is My Mom’s Cat. I Think She’s Beautiful. She Hides From Birds
Image credits: tafunast
#36 She Did Her Best To Hide
Image credits: yunoookumura
#37 My Cat’s Attempt At Hiding From The Vet
Image credits: sgthompson640
#38 His Favorite Hiding Spot
Image credits: Cheosta
#39 Watching Our Guests Sneakily
Image credits: HalalMead
#40 Maybe If I Hide Here, She Won’t See Me
Image credits: luna_belle0825
#41 Absolutely Unexpected Trap
Image credits: Did-ko
#42 That Feeling When You’ve Found The Perfect Hiding Space. Nobody Will Find Me Here
Image credits: pennythecoonhound
#43 A Master Of Stealth
Image credits: camperjohn64
#44 My Husband Took Our Cat To The Vet Today
Image credits: ohiob
#45 He Doesn’t Know We Can See Him
Image credits: JuanaLesbaPorelano
#46 We Brought Home A Cat. He’s A Little Scared, So He’s “Hiding”
Image credits: Neverstillcreations
#47 Knew My Cats Were Plotting To Kill Me, Ninja Hiding On My Way To The Bathroom
Image credits: espan1
#48 My Huge Senior Dog Is Afraid Of Fireworks, And It Is Well Known That The Shower (Where He Clearly Doesn’t Fit) Is The Safest Place To Hide From Them
Image credits: So_queer
#49 This Is Snacks. This Is Where Snacks Hides When She Gets Yelled At
Image credits: ashleyandracchio
#50 He Meows Really Loud And Then He Goes And Hides Here For 20 Mins. He Thinks He’s Hidden
Image credits: Cheeznchips